mccay



(No Model.)

' G. A. MOGAY.

WATCH CASE SPRING.

No. 368,100. Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

WITNESSES INVENTO- I )TFWTRI-E UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

GEORGE A. MOGAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WATCH-CASE SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,100, dated August 9, 887.

Application filed November 9, 1886. Serial No. 218,425. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. MGCAY, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vatch- Oase Springs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide improved means for securing the case-springs to the centers of watch-cases; and it consists in a case-spring having a curved shank formed, as usual, to fit the groovein the interior of the case-center, and provided with a spring-tongue at one edge, adapted to engage with a shoulder on the case-center and retain the shank in place in said groove.

The invention also consists in the combination of a spring having its shank constructed, as above indicated, with a case-center having a shoulder to engage with said spring-tongue, all of which I will now proceed to describe.

7 Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a section of a watch-case, taken on the plane of line of m m, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a sec tion on the plane of line y y, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 represent perspective views of the opening and retaining springs of a hunting-case. Fig. 5 represents a modification. Fig. 6 represents an enlarged section of a portion of the case.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents the case-center, 1) represents the catch-spring that locks or retains the cover 0 in its closed position, and (1 represents the spring that opens the cover when the latter is released by the catchspring. Said springs have the usual general form, and each is provided with a curved, rigid shank, 8, formed to fit the groove f in the inner surface of the case-center. Heretofore these shanks have been made by the manufacturer somewhat larger than the groove s, and have had to be filed down so that they will exactly fit said groove, the exactness of the fit having been partly relied upon to hold the shank and its spring in position. The operation of fitting the shank to the groove is one requiring considerable time and skilled labor, and is therefore quite expensive.

It has been necessary to additionally secure the springs now and heretofore in use by means of screws inserted in-holes drilled through the case-center, saidholes being made in the seat on which the bezel bears. Said screws have to be filed down at their heads to enable the bezel to fit nicely, and they are objectionable in that they mar the finish of the exterior of the center.

In carrying out my invention, I provide the shank with a spring-tongue, t, preferably formed integral with the shank and. its spring, said tongue being bent a little outside of the plane of the edge of the shank, so that its free end will normally spring or snap into a small notch or groove, a, formed in one side of the large groove f in the case-center, when the shank s is inserted in said groovef. The engagement of the spring-tonguet with the small groove it retains the shank in place in the large groove f.

It will be seen that this improvement obviates the necessity of accurately and closely fitting the shanks s to the case-center, and enables them to be applied just as they come from the manufacturer, no filing of the shank being required to fit them to the case. Any slight looseness in the fit of the shank in the case-center is compensated for by the springtongue, the tendency of which is to press the shank closely against one side of the large groove f, and thus keep it from rattling or working loose. No screws are required to retain the springs in place, and therefore the obj ectionable marring of the exterior of the casecenter, heretofore necessary, is obviated.

The improved spring can be turned out by the manufacturer in condition to fit with tolerable accuracy, although more or less loosely, the various styles of case-centers now in use, so that the springs can be applied to the casecenters with very little labor, the springer having only to place the shank s in the center and then push back the free end of the springtongue until it snaps into the small groove u.

If desired, the shank of thespring may be provided with a plurality of spring-tongues, as shown in Fig. 5.

1. A watch-case spring having a springtongue which normally springs beyond the plane of the edge of the case-spring and is adapted to engage with a. groove in the caseeenter, as set forth.

2. A Watch-case spring having a curved 5 shank formed to fit the groovef of a casecenter, and aspring tongue or tongues, i, on said shank, adapted to engage a. groove, 14, in one side of the groove f, as set forth.

3. Acasocenter having a spring-receiving 1o groove, asf, and a smaller groove, as u, formed therein, combined with a, spring having a curved shank, and a spring tongue or tongues on said shank formed to engage the groove 14, as set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name 15 to this specification,in the presenoeoftwo subscribing witnesses, this 30th day of October, 1886.

GEORGE A. MOCAY.

XVitnesses:

A. M. CROMMELIN, WILLIAM G. APPLETON. 

